Members of OutRage! London attempt a citizen's arrest of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe

Harare, Zimbabwe--Critiquing an article about the status of gay and lesbian Zimbabweans in the wake of
an attempted citizen's arrest of Zimbabwe's President Mugabe by London's gay direct action group,
Outrage!, Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) Programmes Manager Keith Goddard wrote a widely
circulated letter critiquing London news coverage.

He specifically referred to The Pink Paper while
providing a vivid account of life in Zimbabwe under the homophobic regime of President
Robert Mugabe.

Goddard wrote:

"The article 'Gays attacked in Zimbabwe after OutRage! stunt' dangerously
misrepresents the situation it sparked in Zimbabwe. Gross distortions of
this nature, especially by the foreign press, play straight into the hands
of our persecutors who delight in painting gays and lesbians as liars and
alarmists. It is difficult enough to be lesbian and gay in this country
without the foreign press feeding fuel to our enemies.

"The GALZ 'state of emergency' was called in response to a single incident
involving attacks on two gay men, not 'a number of gay men'. It was
isolated and not part of 'a series of attacks,' as the Pink Paper claims.

The statement that 'there were other reports of attacks on gay men by the
police across Zimbabwe' is a total fabrication and certainly did not
emanate from this office. Furthermore, nobody was sexually assaulted.

"Our state of emergency meant that those who were in the public eye were
asked to stay in phone contact with each other until the temperature
cooled down. The emergency was called off when it was understood that this
incident did not constitute the start of another gay-bashing campaign.

"Violence against lesbians and gay men is increasing in urban areas as a
general trend. But the 'damage' to the lesbian and gay community in this
country stems directly from President Mugabe's anti-gay rhetoric which has
had a devastating effect on us: the blame for the violence must rest
squarely on the shoulders of Mugabe and his lackeys, not on the
independent actions of foreign groups.

"Human Rights defenders tire of being blamed for violence which they have
not committed. The OutRage! incident simply brought into sharp focus the
human rights abuses of the Harare regime.

"Just because it would be dangerous for such style of action to take place in Zimbabwe
does not mean that it is not allowable in an open and democratic society.

"Remember too that GALZ was blamed by the authorities and the state-controlled media for
causing the violence during the 1995 and 1996 Zimbabwe International Book
Fairs even though it was this organisation that was the victim of threats
and thugs trashed the GALZ stand.

"People who speak out against direct
action and plead for gradual change, talk the language of the abuser.
Generally, people do not give over social space unless forced or if they
see it is in their own self interest to do so.

"A black lesbian was beaten up a couple of days ago not as a result of the
OutRage! 'stunt' but because she had been seen on television giving
evidence to the constitutional commission.

"Gay men are sometimes beaten up
outside nightclubs because people here have been taught to hate gays and
gangsters have been given licence to taunt and harass us.

"The white gay community would have been the least affected by the action
of OutRage!. White gay men are not the target of gay bashers; they are
targets of blackmailers. GALZ is unaware of the human rights activities of
Paranoid 'Rufus'.

"Many Zimbabweans have relished the humiliation of the president in London.
They have derived immense satisfaction from seeing the Almighty on high
brought low. The President's cage was seriously rattled and he is still
smarting with indignation. His subsequent rantings that it was a plot
orchestrated by Gay Gangster Blair and MI5 have been met with appropriate
scorn and ridicule.

"The OutRage! incident sparked a diplomatic row but only in the sense of
helping a smouldering situation burst into flames. It put into perspective
the abuse of lesbians and gay men within the context of broader human
rights abuses in this country.

'For too long, our government has dined out
on international declarations and covenants to which it is a signatory.
The chickens have come home to roost and the Commonwealth and other
international bodies are now calling for genuine compliance with human
rights treaties and not mere rhetorical compliance.

'If our political
leaders do not make a genuine effort to uphold the liberties of our
people, they can only expect local and international pressure to
intensify. Torture and genocide are serious matters for the attention of
the international community; they are not minor domestic matters.

"As I pointed out in my telephone conversation with David Northmore, the
London incident has led to a number of positive outcomes. Even as I write,
Zimbabwe television (ZTV) is inviting representatives from GALZ to appear
as panelists on a discussion programme next Tuesday.

OutRage! London activist Peter Tatchell

"The topic is the incident in London and other issues. This is a first and it is a major
opportunity for us to be heard. The invitation comes in direct response to
the OutRage! incident.

A reporter from the Daily Mail is here at the moment interviewing three
black members of GALZ as part of her research for an in-depth article
about their lives. All the local newspapers, even the state-controlled
media, are now falling over themselves to print our stories.

"We are being heard for the first time and the old rhetoric of unAfrican, unBiblical is
being drowned by a human rights chorus shouting accountability. In the
Thursday 11 November edition of the Financial Gazette, which normally
passes over gay issues, there are no less than nine articles, letters and
features on issues of gay and general human rights as well as the
deteriorating relationship between Britain and Zimbabwe.

"In total, since Sunday 31 October, GALZ has collected no less than 58 newspaper articles
on the subject of lesbian and gay issues and the diplomatic incident in
London. It has also sparked a heated debates--people are talking.

"The action of OutRage! has strengthened our credibility within the general
human rights movement in Zimbabwe. Tatchell mentioned the torture of the
journalists and the genocide in Matabeleland. GALZ's reaction to these
comments have been heard, acknowledged and won us friends.

"Publicity is our best secret weapon. The recent limelight comes directly
in the wake of the OutRage! action and, for that, we thank Peter Tatchell
and his crew.

Yours sincerely

Keith Goddard
Programmes Manager/ GALZ
Thank You for Your Support

GALZ would like to thank all who sponsored and helped get sponsorship for
the "Buy A Brick" Campaign.. The GALZ Resource Centre is officially ours
now. At last! gays lesbians transgendered and bisexual people in Zimbabwe
have a safe haven to call their own. We are still accepting contributions
for the Renovation and Redecorating Project and the HIV and AIDS Awareness
campaign..

Please send contributions to our:

Standard Chartered Bank
Robert Mugabe Road
Harare, Zimababwe

A/C No 01 00 20 14395 00 Telephone: 759065/9
Fax: 759074

Please ensure you have put your contact address for us to credit you for
your contribution.